SAN Beda University began its redemption bid by tapping a former ace player in its high school team and a champion assistant coach.
Yuri Escueta was officially named new Red Lions coach last Tuesday night, tasked to guide San Beda in its drive to regain lost glory in his first head coaching foray.
“It’s now official, Yuri Escueta is the new head coach of the San Beda Red Lions,” Lions team manager Jude Roque said. “A former San Beda juniors’ standout and a proud coach Ato Badolato protégé, Yuri returns to his high school alma mater with a rich basketball coaching knowledge gained from several outstanding tacticians from his college days to his various coaching stints as assistant coach for Ateneo, Gilas, and TNT.”
Escueta will be joined by former San Beda cagers Jenkins Mesina, Alex Angeles, and Francis Cruz in the coaching staff, along with former Ateneo player Andre Santos. Former Lions tactician Boyet Fernandez was tabbed as consultant.
A former player of the late great coach Ato Badolato with the Red Cubs, Escueta suited up for Ateneo during his collegiate career under Norman Black before serving as an assistant with the Blue Eagles and currently a deputy for Chot Reyes at TNT.
Among those considered for the San Beda coaching job were Chooks-to-Go 3×3 head trainer Aldin Ayo, who guided Letran to a title in 2015 and La Salle in the UAAP in 2016, and multi-titled tacticians Louie Alas and Frankie Lim.
With a young core led by the likes of Fil-Canadian James Kwekuteye, JB Bahio, and Franz Abuda, the Mendiola-based dribblers finished with a 7-2 card for third after the eliminations of the last NCAA cage wars.
The Lions hurdled No. 4 College of St. Benilde in their play-in duel to advance to the Final Four.
San Beda negated the Cardinals’ twice-to-beat advantage but lost in their knockout match and failed to reach the Big Dance for the first time since 2005.
